APHIS Factsheet

Veterinary Services December 2012

Animal Disease 

Traceability: A Guide 

to Identifying Horses 

and other Equines 

for Interstate Move- ment

Q. Are equines required to be officially identified 

as part of the new traceability rule? 

A. Under the new traceability rule, horses and other 

equines moving interstate must be officially identified 

prior to interstate movement unless they are:

•	 Used as the mode of transportation (horseback,

 horse and buggy) for travel to another location and 

 then return direct to the original location.

•	 Moved from the farm or stable for veterinary

 medical examination or treatment and returned to 

 the same location without change in ownership.

•	 Moved directly from a location in one State through

 another State to a second location in the original 

State. 

•	 Moved between shipping and receiving States or

 Tribes with another form of identification as agreed

 upon by animal health officials in the shipping and 

 receiving States or Tribes.

Equines commercially transported to slaughter must 

be identified in accordance with Title 9, Part 88 of the 

Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).

Q. What are the official identification methods for 

equines? 

A. Official identification methods for equine include:

•	 A description sufficient to identify the individual

 equine including, but not limited to, name, age, 

		 breed, color, gender, distinctive markings, and

 unique and permanent forms of identification when

		 present (e.g., brands, tattoos, scars, cowlicks,

 blemishes or biometric measurements). When the

 identity of the equine is in question at the receiving

 destination, the State or Tribal animal health official 

		 in the State or Tribe of destination or APHIS

 representative may determine if the description 

 provided is sufficient; or 

•	 Electronic identification that complies with ISO

 11784/11785; or

•	 Non-ISO electronic identification injected to the

 equine on or before February 26, 2014; or 

•	 Digital photographs sufficient to identify the

 individual equine.

For equines being commercially transported to 

slaughter, a device or method authorized by Title 9, 

Part 88 of the CFR is required.

Q. Do horses and other equines moving interstate 

need to be accompanied by movement documentation?

A. Horses and other equines moved interstate must be

accompanied by an interstate certificate of veterinary 

inspection or other interstate movement document 

unless they meet one of the following exemptions:

•	 They are used as the mode of transportation

		 (horseback, horse and buggy) for travel to another

 location and then return direct to the original 

 location.

•	 They are moved from the farm or stable for

 veterinary medical examination or treatment and 

 returned to the same location without change in 

 ownership. 

•	 They are moved directly from a location in one

 State through another State to a second location in

 the original State.

•	 Additionally, equines may be moved between

 shipping and receiving States or Tribes with 

		 documentation other than an ICVI, e.g., an equine

 infectious anemia test chart, as agreed to by the 

 shipping and receiving States or Tribes involved in

 the movement.

In addition, equines moving commercially to slaughter

must be accompanied by documentation in 

accordance with Title 9, Part 88 of the CFR, and 

equine infectious anemia reactors moving interstate 

must be accompanied by documentation as required 

by Title 9, Part 75 of the CFR.

Q. Where can I find more information on equine 

identification requirements for interstate movement?

A. More information is available at http://www.aphis.

usda.gov/traceability/ or from your State animal health 

official’s office. 

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United States Department of Agriculture • Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service • Safeguarding American Agriculture